Ok, so after reading Judith Butler’s From Gender Trouble, I have to admit that I am a bit confused. I honestly thought that it was going to be a simple read, but I was wrong again. I feel like she, in a way, dances around her point that she wants to make. Although I didn’t fully understand what she was saying here, I did fins a few things that were interesting to me.
On page 2489 Butler writes that “serious as the medicalization of women’s bodies is, the term is also laughable, and laughter in the face of serious categories is indispensable for feminism.” I really have no idea what this means, but I’m going to give it a shot. I think what she is trying to say is that as important as women are to our society or as “important” as their actual bodies are (because they can give birth), they are not really taken that serious in the eyes of others. Feminism is laughed off or ridiculed because women are not suppose to have strong view points or ideas. I think that our society is stuck in the “back then” point of view where women are only allowed to cook and clean and stay home and take care of the children. God forbid if they have a mind!
Ok, so another thing that I found interesting was on page 2490 she says “categories of true sex, discrete gander, and specific sexuality have constituted the stable point of reference for a great deal of feminist theory and politics. These constructs of identity serve as the points of epistemic departure from which theory emerges and politics itself is shaped.” I thought that she made a very good point here. If you think about it, she is right. These “identities” as she calls them are truly what shapes are world today. Think about the whole Bush and gay marriage subject. Obviously, because of his religion, Bush does not want gay people to get married. But why? I think that it is not only because of the religion aspect, but it is because of the sex issues that go along with this subject. In reality, everyone should be able to do as they please because this is supposed to be a “free” country, right? But, because it is not “sexually right,” gay people are not allowed to marry in New York. I think that it is completely ridiculous. We are all human!! I think that Bush is basically afraid of that naming or defining him as the “president that let gays get married.” I honestly don’t think that it is based on religion.
Ok, so after reading this, I still have a few questions. They probably won’t be answered, but it’s worth a shot. I still don’t understand why sex has to shape our society as Butler says. Why is it so important? I know it’s a hard question to answer and it probably won’t ever have an answer, but it’s just so confusing to me?
